1. plot, formula, system. Plan,project,design,scheme imply a formulated method of doing something. Plan refers to any method of thinking out acts and purposes beforehand: What are your plans for today? A project is a proposed or tentative plan, often elaborate or extensive: an irrigation project.Design suggests art, dexterity, or craft (sometimes evil and selfish) in the elaboration or execution of a plan, and often tends to emphasize the purpose in view: a misunderstanding brought about by design. A scheme is apt to be either a speculative, possibly impracticable, plan, or a selfish or dishonest one: a scheme to swindle someone.4. sketch, draft, diagram, chart. 8. design, devise, plot.

plan

/plæn/

noun

1.

a detailed scheme, method, etc, for attaining an objective

2.

(sometimes pl) a proposed, usually tentative idea for doing something

3.

a drawing to scale of a horizontal section through a building taken at a given level; a view from above an object or an area in orthographic projection Compare ground plan (sense 1), elevation (sense 5)

4.

an outline, sketch, etc

5.

(in perspective drawing) any of several imaginary planes perpendicular to the line of vision and between the eye and object depicted

verb plans, planning, planned

6.

to form a plan (for) or make plans (for)

7.

(transitive) to make a plan of (a building)

8.

(transitive; takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to have in mind as a purpose; intend

plan

n.

1670s as a technical term in perspective drawing; 1706 as "drawing, sketch, or diagram of any object," from French plan "ground plan, map," literally "plane surface" (mid-16c.), from Latin planum "level or flat surface," noun use of adjective planus "level, flat" (see plane (n.1)). The notion is of "a drawing on a flat surface." Meaning "scheme of action, design" is first recorded 1706, possibly influenced by French planter "to plant," from Italian planta "ground plan."